The carriage came to a halt. The door swung open. The maid waited patiently outside holding the door for us. Wait why was she here?

"Alright everybody out." The Queen ordered. We did as instructed. 

The carriage was tucked into an alcove that looked like it was meant for parking, there were many other carriages besides ours. Even another one that looks exactly like ours.

Oh, that's how the maid got here. They must have followed us. I looked around some more. "Hmmm? Where's the market? I don't see it." Seriously it was nothing but gray walls.

Christine facepalmed. "Gezz, this is just the parking area." She then grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out the way the carriage came in.

"Wa!" Her pull nearly made me fall on my face. Ironically it was her grip kept that from happening

"Christine, don't be so ruff with her. And slow down we mustn't get ahead of the Queen!" Alexis protested.

"Hurry up then!"

---

The Queen looked on at the three young ladies with satisfaction. The day had barely begun and yet everything was going so smoothly. 

The maid she had put in charge of their guests well being hurried after the trio. The head maid, as well as four guards. stood behind the queen awaiting orders. "We shouldn't let them get too far ahead. Let us be going."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

---

The Market was nothing like that little town my male half was at. The buildings were huge and ornate, a fountain stood in a courtyard park, stall vendors lined the streets, and people, lots of people. Too many people. "That's a lot of people."

"Trust me it's always this busy." Stated Alexis. 

I wasn't sure why but the crowd intimidated me. Instinctively I tried backing away. 

"Whoa whoa whoa, where do think you're going!" Christine asks, pulling me back to where I was.

"Can we go back please?" 

"Hu? no way!"

Alexis put her hand on my shoulder. "Why don't you close your eyes and take a deep breath."

I did just that. "Wuuuu, haaaa." When I opened my eyes. The crowd was still there. 

"Well, how do you feel?"

"About the same." My statement received two facepalms. 

On the other end, I was trying to hide the anxiety caused by the crowd. The only sign being a slight shake in my hands.

"Here we are!" Ronnie announced when we approached his shack. If you've seen one shack you've seen them all. It was dirty, holes were in the walls, and it barely had a roof. "Now I know it's not much," He continued as we went inside. "but it's mine." 

 "So what's with this place?" The town was so unlike the palace or the market I didn't know what to think of it. "Where am I exactly."

He considered my question as he began pulling up a floorboard. "Well, the first thing you need to know. Is that your in the Empire." He reached down and pulled out two bottles. Then replaced the floorboard. "Here you go right out of my stash." He popped the caps off and handed one over.

"Thanks." I took a sip. "Ga, oh, that's uh,"

"Tastes like shit doesn't it." He said laughing at my reaction. On the bright side, the bad taste scared away my anxiety. For a moment anyway. "As I was saying. This town is in the Empire and used to be a POW camp back during the War of Reclamation."

"POW? War?"

"Yeah, Prisoners of war." He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "There is a lot of history to cover. I guess you could say this used to be a village than a prison camp than a village again."

"This was a village first?"

"Yeah, back then it belonged to the Kingdom of Shearwood, and the Alliance. Everyone here is a POW or a descendant of one."

"But is War over? Why are there still prisoners?" 

"Yes, the war is over, but the prisoners, they just weren't allowed to go home is all."

"And the POWs who are they?"

"You already met my grandma Mable, she's one. Believe me, get a few drinks in her, and..."

Oh, wow this is some heavy stuff I'm listening to. The Queen decided to make a quick stop, at a store before we went any further. The guards a maid and Alexis went with her. Christine, the maid, and I were sat outside, by a pond full of fish waiting for them to return. Alexis said they were called koi.

"Stephane! Could you come here a moment." Alexis called from the shop. Who's Stephane? 

The maid responded. "Right away Ma'am." Oh, that's Stephane. Good to know. 

Looking around the place was as busy as it was moments ago, perhaps worse with midday approaching. The crowd still bothered me, but not as much as before. The Queen took care of that problem just by existing. The moment she stepped out of the shadows of the parking alley, people got out of the way without hesitation, and our group cut through the crowd like a sharp knife.

Crowd excluded, the place had its charm. I could smell food cooking from stalls, and restaurants alike, and the vendors all trying to outshout each other was amusing. One vendor that I had my eye on for a while was standing by an alley. He grabbed my attention partly because he was the most energetic, and partly because I felt bad for him. In spite of his energy everyone seemed to be ignoring him. Poor guy.

Maybe Christine and I could pay his stall at a visit? I looked over at Christine, who was a joyfully letting the koi nibble at her finger, I also heard small giggling sounds. So maybe not, she looks happy doing that.

I decided to go see what the man was selling on my own. The man had black hair tie back into a ponytail. He was handsome young, tall, lanky, and wore a suit that looked as if it had seen better days, but still clean and well cared for. 

The man noticed my approach. "Well, hello there pretty lady! Are you by chance interested in my miracle elixir?" He said holding up a vial of clear liquid. Laying on charm and charisma so powerful that any woman would blush. Only my strong curiosity about his product kept this half of me from doing just that.

"Miracle?"

"Why yes, this stuff can cure and heal just about anything. I call it a Health Potion, or HP Potion for short. I make it myself!" He declared proudly. 

There was something off about his sales pitch, and why would I notice it I was an amnesiac not stupid. "Wouldn't calling it that for short add an extra Potion to the title?"

"Well, you are a smart lady." He said leaning on his cart, giving me a pearly white smirk then sent pleasant chills down my body. "Why, yes I admit naming things is not my forte." He said mournfully, his face lost its charming smirk and became somber.

Poor guy, I could relate. I've been trying to think of names for myself ever since being asked, but nothing ever sounds right. "I'm sorry to hear that."

 "Thank you, my lady, your words are too kind." He suddenly brightened back up again. "But back to business!"

---

Alexis didn't know what the Queen was thinking. Was such an item really appropriate for someone with memory loss? The Queen was consulting with the one person who had the most interaction with the young woman. The maid Stephane. This meant there was another problem. Only one person was watching their guest. 

Alexis didn't want to doubt her younger twin, but she had a habit of getting distracted when bored or when cute animals were involved. Alexis suspected that both of those conditions had been met. Informing the Head Maid, of her intentions Alexis dismissed herself from the store.

Approaching the koi pond. Alexis's worse fears were realized. She saw her sister playing with the fish, and no one else, the young woman was gone. Alexis rushed over to the pond. "Where is she!?" She asked her sister with a small growl.

Christine looked up at her sister. "Hu? Where is who..." her question trailed off as she realized that someone who should be there was not.

"You idiot!"

"I'm sorry the koi were just so adorable!"

"Stop the excuses we have to find her before the queen returns!"

There was one problem. "Where did all these people come from?"

"Its midday. Everyone's out for lunch." Alexis observed. "We'll have to ask around."

The twins asked several people if they had seen a young lady in all black with long straight brown hair. When they finally found someone who had seen her they were horrified by what they were told. 

"I can't believe it's actually happening," Alexis complained as she and her sister rushed to the ally described to them. It wasn't that far from the koi pond, but the increased crowd kept them from seeing in that direction. Sure enough, after the twins made it through the crowd they found what they feared. She was there being sold a vial of some liquid that was likely just water. AKA Snake Oil.

Christine rushed ahead. putting herself between the young woman and the salesman. "Wait! don't buy anything!" 

"Hu? but why not?"

She didn't get an answer. Christine grabbed one arm and Alexis the other, dragging the poor amnesiac back to the koi pond.

The young woman protesting the whole time. "Wait that stuff makes miracles happen!"

"No, it doesn't." Said Christine. "It's just plain water or something."

"Hu?"

The young salesman shouted after them. "Come again if you change your mind! I appreciate your business!"

---

So yeah now I'm being chewed out on one end, and on the other, the history lesson continued. I felt kind of bad because I missed a lot of what Ronnie told me. I was too into what that salesman was selling. So just to review..."Let me get this straight. The empire just wanted their territory back from the separatists."

"The Alliance, yes. And it's more like they wanted to crush them than anything."

"And This king guy..."

"Richard Pendragon."

"He was gone?"

"For months the Empire thought the sneak attack was a sure victory, but it turned into a war of attrition. King Richard walked away the victor." 

"How?"

"The Empire doesn't give out details like that to the public."

"Ah."

---

The Queen was most satisfied with her purchase and hoped the young woman in her care would also find it satisfactory. Stephane was most helpful in this.

Speaking of the young woman we really needed to come up with something to call her. Besides the young woman or guest. The Queen thought. 

Approaching the koi pond the Queen found the scene playing out before her curious. The twins appeared to be giving the poor amnesiac a verbal ripping of some sort. "What's going on here?" The Queen asked when she arrived.

The twin filled her in. "I see, and you have told her the importance of not wandering off, I assume?"

"You bet we did." Stated Christine.

 The Queen's gaze was stern."Do you really think that the one who should have been watching her has any room to talk?"

Christine hung her guilty head. "No Ma'am I don't."

"Good."

"Excuse me Ms. but you forgot your free sample!" A lanky yet young handsome man approached the royal party. The guard moved swiftly to intercept. 

The twins moved protectively in front of the young woman, who was just as surprised to see him as anyone else.

"Well, you have some guts approaching us like this. Are you aware of who we are?" The Queen kept her face stern, but inside she wanted to laugh. This young man had her respect for being so brave.

"I do indeed your highness, and it is an honor." He gave a bow. "But, your friend here forgot a free sample that I had promised her." He held out a vial of clear liquid. 

"Get that trash out of..."

"It's alright Christine!" The Queen interrupted, she then turned her attention to the lanky young man. "I think I'll take that sample."

"But..."

"Not another word." The Queen took the vial from the young man who was reaching his hand out between two armored men. 

"It is an honor to think that you of all people would have any interest in my product. Truly." Said the young man with another bow.

The Queen's mischievous side finally won out, her face widened into a broad grin. "I assume this cures any injury or illness?"

"It does indeed your Majesty. I hope it proves to be useful to you." The lanky young man walked off with another bow.

"Oh, I'll be sure to put it to great use, young man!" She placed the vile in a pocket hidden within the hem of her dress.

---

I couldn't remember. Nothing new for me, but this was more recent. As I watched the salesman walk away, racking my brains trying to remember when he offered me a free sample. For the life of me, I couldn't. 

My only theory is that he just wanted to get the Queen's attention. As the Queen put it, he had guts. 

The Queen turned to me. "Well, I do believe we came here for you. Shall we go?"

Meanwhile...

Bringing sandwiches Mayble had joined Ronnie and me, she didn't have much to say on our subject, but Ronnie made a joke about how she didn't have enough to drink yet.

The time went past, It was turning into evening, the Queen declared that enough shopping had been done for one day. We sat down for a meal and the Queen brought up the topic of my name, and by coincidence so did Mayble. What are the odds? 

They tossed out one name after the other, each time asking what I thought. My response to both groups..."It's alright I guess." An answer that was never acceptable to either Mayble or the Queen. 

By the time the restaurant brought out the Turkey that was ordered for the whole group, the Queen had grown impatient with my indecisiveness and just called me Alice. No debate or anything, I'm Alice now. Well, my female half is anyway.

On my male side, the Constable came around. He said hello to Robbie, barely looked my way, then pulled Mable outside.

"I wonder what that's about?" asked Robbie.

I shrugged. How should I know?

For some reason, Robbie looked concerned and stepped out. "Stay here, I'll be back."

"Um, ok."

He was gone long enough for dessert to be served. A basket of round shaped objects was placed before the royal party. 

"So what is this?" 

Christine who was sitting to my left leaned in. "Chocolate chip cookies." 

Alexis sitting to my right was already enjoying one. "They're good, try one."

I picked up one of the cookies and took a bite. "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" It was so good! The warm dough and the chocolate practically melted in my mouth. The sweetness. I never knew I wanted a cookie this badly before now. I wish my other half were here. Two mouths two cookies twice the bliss. As far as I was concerned the rest of the world was dead to me until this cookie was finished.

---

"Hello? Anyone home?" The young woman, now dubbed Alice, took one more bite of her cookie. Her joyful aura practically shining outward. Christine waved her hand in front of her face. Alice appeared not to notice. "Wow, guess not."

"Yes, she appears to be in her own little world right now. Doesn't she?" Her sister Alexis agreed.

"At least she looks happy there."

The Queen had the biggest smile on her face, She leaned over into her maid's ear. "Next time the chef goes shopping make sure he stocks up on flour and chocolate chips. I have a feeling cookies will be in demand."

---

I sat alone in Robbie's shack, in complete bliss due to my other self's good fortune of eating what is likely the greatest thing I've ever tasted. That feeling didn't last long, because...

1. The cookie sadly didn't last forever.
2. Robbie returned with a grave and angry look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

The Constable stepped in and answered for him. "You have to leave."

"What!?" I flew to my feet.

"Oh, come on Constable you can't be more tactful than that?" Robbie scolded.

"Look I'm sorry, but as I already explained to you. Under suspicion that he is at Alliance spy, we can not harbor him."

"Wait, a spy? No..." I tried to protest.

"Please don't resist it will only make things harder." Constable shot back. "Besides it's not up to me." He turned and left.

Well, this just ruined the mood. I really needed another cookie. I looked in the basket, all gone. There was only enough for everybody to have one.

"Are you alright dear?" The Queen asked with a smile on her face. "Would you like me to order more?" 

Yes, I wanted more, anything to cheer me up from this recent development with male me, but at the same time, I couldn't be bothered. It was an odd and complicated feeling. I hated that feeling. "No, I'm fine." I was not fine.

A fact that I could not hide. "Oh wow, you are super depressed about the cookies being gone," Christine observed.

She was wrong, but it's not like I could just say hey something is happening to me miles away from here. They wouldn't believe that.  I guess a downside to being a freak is that explaining your condition will only get you looked at funny. 

"Are you sure you don't want more?" Alexis asked.

 Yes, but, "No, Let's just go."

"Well my darling Alice, your wish is our command." Joked the Queen.

My male self was out on the edge of town. Mayble and Ronnie were there with me saying goodbye.

"You can probably camp out there, under that tree on the hill. See it?" Ronnie pointed out the tree in the distance. 

"Yeah, I see it," I said slinging a bag of things that Mayble kindly put together for me over my shoulder. 

"But only for the night."

"Yeah, I got it."

"I wish it didn't have to be this way," Ronnie said.

"Same here, It just isn't right sending Richie here off in his condition." Said Mayble.

What did she just call me? "Richie?" 

"Short for Richard. You like it."

"Yeah, it's alright. I guess."

Ronnie just sighed. "Grandma, are you seriously naming him after that old king of yours?"

"The best King since the original Arthur Pendragon! I'll have you know!" 

"SHHH, Grandma the inquisitor hear you!"

"Let the bitch hear me! I gotta stick it to her somehow!"

"By naming an amnesiac after an enemy King!? You can't do that to him!"

"It's fine!" I intervened. "I'll take it. Thank you Mayble."

Ronnie looked at me like I was crazy. "Are you sure?"

"It's fine. Goodbye, and thank you both."

---

The Queen and her husband sat in the Royal Study. The King sat by the window reading a book. The Queen sat opposite him contemplating the day.

Alice looked depressed after dinner and the Queen couldn't get the image out of her head. She thought it was the absence of her newly discovered love for sweets that put her in that mood, but she didn't perk up at all the whole way back. There had to be more to it, but for the life of her, the Queen couldn't tell what.

Then there was that question she asked. "This is the Kingdom of Shearwood right?"

"Yes, Darling it is." The Queen had answered.

"And its part of the Alliance?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"It's nothing."

It was not nothing. It was the way she asked it. Not just a lost girl curious about the world, but as if something were weighing her down. A memory? The Queen gave up, in time maybe all of these questions would be answered, but right now the Queen was only giving herself a headache. 

"I heard that our guest has a name now." Stated the King.

"She does." 

"The twins joked about said it was practically a royal decree."

"Ha, yes I suppose you could look at it like that."

"You named her Alice."

The Queen became defensive. "There is no special reason." 

"I'm not judging, it is a good name."

The Queen wanted to change the subject. "I was also approached by a snake oil salesman today. Did you hear about that too?"

The King snorted. "I did, kids got gut I'll give him that. Still, it would have been nice if he went through the proper channels like normal."

"Yes, well." The Queen presented the vial she had acquired earlier. "Humans are lazy by nature, you can't blame the boy for taking advantage of the fact that I was standing right there." The Queen uncorked the vial and poured in false contents into a nearby plant pot. She then reached inside to pull out a perfectly dry piece of rolled-up paper.

The Queen loved how sneaky this little glass vile was. Just a little clever craftsmanship and you have a hidden container within a container, and all looks perfectly normal from the outside, no magic needed.

The King put down his book, to better pay attention. "Well, what does it say?"

The Queen gave the summarized version. "Nothing new in the Empire, but regarding our gold-toothed friend. It seems he didn't have much choice in the matter."

"A shame, but that is how it goes when playing these stupid games, with the Empire."

"I'm sure he'll get them to our friends."

"I hope so too, but it's not always possible you know." The King went back to his book

---

Sitting under a tree looking up at the night sky would have been a relaxing experience if not for the circumstances of my being here. Back at the palace, I was looking out the window, looking at the same stars, but from a different angle. I let out a big sigh from both bodies. 

Why didn't it hit me before I was kicked out of that town? Why didn't I realize how hard it was going to be to reunite with myself. One body was in the Empire, the other a nation-state of the Alliance know as the Kingdom of Shearwood. Both mortal enemies. 

I learned from Ronnie that the border was closed and that no one ever leaves the empire. If you try they suspect you of defecting or being a spy and then kill you. 

Worse than that. I didn't know who to trust. So far I was leaning toward the Kingdom. But what if outside the Palace and fancy Market, all I find are towns like the one I just got booted from? What then?

Two sets of lungs, let out another sigh. My future wasn't looking so bright.